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(10/18/96 9:00am)
Although Athletic Department officials claimed last week the University has made progress in gender equity, others say that Penn still has ground to cover. The Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act report stated that the student-athlete population is 37 percent female, up from 33 percent three years ago. But Carol Tracy, executive director of the Philadelphia-based Women's Law Project, said the numbers were not as high as they should be. "There should be clearly more women participating," said Tracy, who negotiated a Title IX settlement with the University in 1995. "I'm concerned, but I think they're on the right path here." Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires universities that receive any federal funding to have equal resources for male and female athletes. Tracy cited the large gap in recruiting dollars as the primary factor behind the inequity in gender participation. During the 1995-96 school year, the Athletic Department spent $192,000 on recruiting for men's teams and $66,000 for women's sports. "One way to increase participation levels is to have money for recruiting," said Tracy, a Penn graduate and former Women's Center director. But Senior Associate Athletic Director Carolyn Schlie Femovichlast week attributed the disparity to the fact that most of men's sports recruiting dollars go to football. Tracy said the emphasis on football recruiting is "really irrelevant." Femovich said the Athletic Department has made progressand plans to monitor recruiting expenses. "We've seen growth in women's recruiting budgets in the last couple years," Femovich said last week. "But I think we need to be continually responsive to their recruiting needs." According to Tracy, the University's 1995 Title IX settlement required equal expenditures for lodging, meals and transportation. The EADA report listed men's basketball operating expenses at $106,000, while the women's squad spent $63,000. Femovich said she could not explain the large disparity in basketball, especially since the two teams' travel, meal and uniform expenses were nearly identical. Tracy emphasized that the Athletic Department must address the question of this particular gap. According to Tracy, the EADA has provided considerable impetus toward universities' compliance with Title IX by forcing them to reveal statistics on their athletic programs. "I think that the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act probably will be every bit as important as the enactment of Title IX itself," she said. Nursing Professor Ruth McCorkle, chairperson of the University's Gender Equity Advisory Group, cited women's athletic facilities renovations, recruitment efforts and quality coaching as key to increasing participation rates of female student-athletes. "Female athletes should feel very good about the investments that have been made and that we'll continue to make even bigger ones," said McCorkle, an intramural softball coach. Tracy said the University should survey female students on what new varsity sports could entice more women to participate. But Femovich said the Athletic Department has no "immediate plans to add any women's sports." "Adding sports means additional expense and if that's what is necessary, then we'll certainly do it," Femovich said.
(10/11/96 9:00am)
Despite $500K gap between men's and women's teamDespite $500K gap between men's and women's teamoperating expenses, official claims Title IX progress The University's first-ever Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act report, released yesterday, reveals significant disparities in funding and number of athletes between men's and women's sports. Title IX of the Education Amendments to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires universities that receive any federal funding to have equal resources for male and female athletes. But Senior Associate Athletic Director Carolyn Schlie Femovich said the University has made considerable progress on these issues in the past and will continue to do so in the future. The Athletic Department released the report in accordance with the EADA, a 1995 law that requires most universities with intercollegiate athletic programs to provide certain information to the public upon request. The report includes the number of participants, operating expenses and the number of coaches for each team, as well as total recruiting expenses and average coaches' salaries for men's and women's teams during the 1995-96 school year. While the University's undergraduate enrollment is 53 percent male and 47 percent female, the student-athlete population is 63 percent male and 37 percent female, according to the report. "I think we have made progress," said Femovich, noting that three years ago the student-athlete population was 67 percent male and 33 percent female. "We certainly recognized a number of years ago that participation numbers for women is something we wanted to work on." Femovich called former Interim Provost Marvin Lazerson's efforts essential to improving gender equity in Penn athletics. "I think we're going to continue to close the gap," Femovich said, attributing the growing number of female student-athletes to improved recruiting and an increase in the number of women playing high school sports. Still, the EADA report shows that the men's teams' 1995-96 recruiting expenses added up to $192,000, while the women's teams only received $66,000 for recruiting. "We've seen growth in women's recruiting budgets in the last couple years," Femovich said. "But I think we need to be continually responsive to their recruiting needs." She noted that the football program incurs a large portion of the men's recruiting expenses. The EADA report also presented a team-by-team breakdown of operating expenses. The University's 16 men's teams had a combined operating budget of $983,000, while the 14 women's programs totaled $484,000. Part of the large gap was due to football operating expenses -- by far the largest at $321,000. But several men's sports had significantly higher operating expenses than the women's teams in the same sports. Men's basketball rang up $106,000 in operating costs last year, while women's basketball spent $63,000. Femovich said she could not explain the large disparity in basketball, especially since the two squads' travel, meal and uniform expenses were nearly identical. Another large gap was evident for lacrosse: $56,000 went for men's expenses, while just $29,000 covered the women's costs. Femovich attributed the higher men's costs to the larger team size -- 35 members to the women's 25 -- and the fact that the men wear full protective equipment, while the women do not. In tennis, the men's $37,000 budget was $10,000 more than the women's team's expenses. Women's tennis coach Cissie Leary said the greater number of male players, along with her own frugality, account for the difference. "I tend to save money for bigger things that might come along," she added. The statement also reported the average men's and women's teams' head coach's salary at $49,981 and $45,091, respectively. Assistant coaches for men's and women's teams respectively received average salaries of $17,478 and $13,973. According to Femovich, when Athletic Director Steve Bilsky took over in 1994, he and other athletics administrators met with representatives from each team to examine individual operating budgets.
(10/10/96 9:00am)
In 1986, Penn had itsIn 1986, Penn had itsfirst perfect season in 82In 1986, Penn had itsfirst perfect season in 82years, which included aIn 1986, Penn had itsfirst perfect season in 82years, which included awin over Division I-AIn 1986, Penn had itsfirst perfect season in 82years, which included awin over Division I-ANavy and a thrillingIn 1986, Penn had itsfirst perfect season in 82years, which included awin over Division I-ANavy and a thrillingdefeat of the Big Red After all, with four straight Ivy championships under its belt and a nucleus of returning seniors, the only achievement left was to win all 10 games on the schedule and secure the first perfect Quakers season in 82 years. Ten years after that 10-0 season, the returning Quakers will be honored this Saturday in a halftime ceremony during the 1:30 p.m. Penn-Columbia matchup at Franklin Field. "We had an expectation of winning everything," Jeff Fortna, an outside linebacker on the 1986 Quakers, said. "We wanted to beat up on everybody." Led by first-year head coach Ed Zubrow, Penn fulfilled those expectations, completing its 10-game sweep with a 31-21 win over Cornell at icy Schoellkopf Field. With the perfect mark came the Quakers fifth straight Ivy League championship and Penn football immortality. Quarterback Jim Crocicchia and running backs Rich Comizio and Chris Flynn -- both destined for the record books -- along with tight end Brent Novoselsky, a future Minnesota Viking, electrified the Quakers offense. Center and co-captain Steve Buonato and tackle Marty Peterson were part of an experienced, senior-laden offensive line. "We tried to incorporate the run game, two- and three-tight end teams and play-action pass as much as we could," offensive coordinator Dick Maloney said. "We were more of a diversified offense and I really think that helped." The Quakers were also well equipped on the defensive side. Tackle A.J. Sebastianelli, linebackers Fortna and Brad Hippenstiel and safety Jim Fangmeyer led a strong squad, coached by defensive coordinator Gary Steele, who turned down the head coach and athletic director's positions at Rice to stay with Zubrow at Penn. Steele was the Quakers head coach from 1989 to 1991. "I consider Gary absolutely one of the key architects of the 1986 season," Zubrow said. And despite the fact that every coach was new to Penn or to his position, everything clicked for the Quakers. "We were really fortunate to assemble an outstanding coaching staff," said Zubrow, currently an independent management consultant living near Portsmouth, N.H. He left Penn after three seasons to work for the Philadelphia public schools superintendent. In the first test of the season, senior tailback Comizio -- currently ranked No. 3 in all-time rushing yards for Penn -- scored two touchdowns and made the Big Green's offensive line look small as the Quakers beat Dartmouth, 21-7. "It was a good, solid win for us," Zubrow said. "We clearly had a very talented team and they played very well." The next week, Penn had one of its characteristically close matches against Bucknell. The Quakers halted a Bison drive late in the fourth quarter and Comizio contributed 175 rushing yards to lead Penn to a 10-7 victory at rain-soaked Franklin Field. "We were actually lucky to pull it out at the end," said Fortna, now a dentist residing in Lebanon, Pa. "We ended up sacking them and dashing their hopes." The third week was cake for the Quakers. Although it set an Ivy record for penalties, Penn extended Columbia's losing streak to 24 games in a 42-7 win. But while the Quakers were 3-0, they had had the easiest schedule in all of Division I-AA football through the Columbia game, according to the USA Today computer rankings. That cakewalk seemed about to change as underdog Penn visited Brown, also 3-0 and the favorite to grab the Ivy championship. But the Bruins' previously well-oiled offensive machine failed on all cylinders. The Quakers shut out their opponent, 34-0 as Comizio and Flynn both netted more than 100 yards, while Novoselsky added two touchdown receptions. The Penn defense recorded its sole shutout of the season. Next week, however, presented Penn with perhaps its biggest challenge of the season: a date in Annapolis with the Division I-A Midshipmen, to which the Quakers were heavy underdogs. "Going down and playing away against a Division I-A team, certainly that was a step up for us and a test," Zubrow said. Fortna felt that merely visiting Navy was "very intimidating in itself," adding that the Midshipmen "were a step above the Ivy League." The first three quarters did not seem to bode well. Comizio injured his hamstring in the first quarter and Flynn only rushed for 63 yards the whole game. At the half, Navy led 13-3 and the two sides exchanged scores in the third quarter to make it 20-10. "[My injury] was disappointing because I got hurt and missed homecoming [next week against Yale]," Comizio said. But Crocicchia's arm was golden in the fourth quarter, connecting twice with Novoselsky and once with tight end Jim Bruni for a total of 20 unanswered points. A late Midshipmen touchdown was too late, as the Quakers left Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium basking in the glory of a 30-26 upset of an average, but heavily favored, Division I-A team. "No one expected us to beat Navy," Peterson said. But "everybody [on the team] believed we could win that game," he added. Maloney, now head coach at the University of Chicago, said the Quakers had been practicing a certain play all week and were about to try it out for the first time -- but Navy lined up in formation as if they knew what was coming. That was when the Bruni touchdown "put the game away," Maloney explained. "That whole game, I think, put that football team on the map," Maloney said. The next three weeks saw Penn breeze to victory over Yale, Princeton and Lafayette, by scores of 24-6, 23-10 and 42-14, respectively. Comizio, who won the Bushnell Cup for the ECAC's most valuable player that season, eclipsed Adolph Bellizeare's all-time Penn career rushing mark in the Leopards contest. "Records aren't on your mind per se on a game-to-game basis," said Comizio, now a utility portfolio trader with Penn trustee George Weiss's company in New York City. "When you're surrounded by such talent as we have, it makes each individual's job a lot easier." On the next-to-last Saturday, Penn avenged a loss to Harvard the previous year as the Quakers stopped a late Crimson drive to win 17-10. Flynn smashed the Penn season record for all-purpose yardage, finishing his career with 1,620 yards. Currently, he is ranked No. 3 behind 1990 graduate Bryan Keys and 1995 graduate Terrance Stokes, who are ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. The whole season came down to the final game between Penn and Cornell in Ithaca, N.Y. Both teams had perfect Ivy records, but the Quakers got a surprise when they arrived at Schoellkopf Field. "There was so much ice on the field that we couldn't get out there to practice," said Fortna, adding that the Cornell players "were talking a little bit. "We were completely sky high going into that game," Fortna said. Comizio explained that Cornell's behavior actually charged up the Quakers. "Cornell showed us a lack of respect by not plowing the field for us to practice," Comizio said. "It made us concentrate more on not just winning but really demoralizing them." Adding to the Quakers' tempers were the Cornell fans, who threw ice balls at the Penn players and coaches before the game started. Although the Quakers did not quite crush the Big Red, Penn led nearly the entire game and won, 31-21, as Hippenstiel's 13 tackles earned him Sports Illustrated player-of-the-week honors. And the Quakers had achieved their first perfect season in 82 years. "It was probably one of the most satisfying moments that I've ever had," Peterson said. Despite the various records set throughout the year, players and coaches emphasized how well the team played together. "I really tend not to think about individual performances or individual players," Zubrow said. "I think one of the things that distinguishes a particular team is the fact that we're able to play together." Comizio and the others are looking forward to this Saturday's game and halftime ceremony. "I think it's going to bring back a lot of fond memories," Comizio said. "Franklin Field is a place that will always have a meaning deep in my heart."
(10/08/96 9:00am)
New deal allows Comcast toNew deal allows Comcast totelecast soccer, footbll and hoops In years past, if you wanted to catch a Penn sporting event on television, your only bet was to catch the rare men's basketball matchup that aired on ESPN or view a Quakers football game on UTV13. But this season, the athletic department has reached an agreement with Comcast Cablevision of Philadelphia to carry an array of Quakers games, including football, men's and women's soccer and men's basketball, according to the Penn athletic communications department. Comcast's coverage kicks off tonight with an airing of the Penn men's soccer team's game against St. Joseph's. The contest, which actually begins at 3:30 p.m., will be tape-delayed and broadcast at 8 p.m. The games will appear on the Comcast Network, a channel launched this past summer that serves Comcast cable systems throughout New Jersey and the Philadelphia area. Approximately 1.2 million households will be able to view the Quakers in action. But for most Penn students, whether they live on or off campus, the only way to view the game will be the old-fashioned way. Because neither ResNet nor Wade Cablevision is affiliated with Comcast, the only alternative for students is to go down to Rhodes Field and watch the action live. In addition to today's men's soccer match, Comcast will broadcast this Saturday's 1:30 p.m. football game against Columbia at 8 p.m. The October 16 women's soccer match against Villanova will also air that evening at 8 p.m. And two more football games are on Comcast's schedule: the November 2 homecoming game against Yale and the November 9 match at Princeton. Although both games have an afternoon start time, they will air at 8 p.m. Additionally, Comcast is tentatively scheduled to broadcast nine men's basketball games this coming season, including all of Penn's Big 5 matchups and both games against Princeton. The athletic department is also negotiating to have Comcast cover women's basketball, wrestling and men's and women's lacrosse games. · Comcast's broadcasting debut will feature a battle between Soccer Seven rivals Penn and St. Joe's. The Quakers, off to a rocky 1-5 start, look to capture their second win of the season at Rhodes Field. In the past two years, the Hawks have had their way with Penn -- defeating the Quakers, 3-1, two years ago and, 3-0, last year. The Soccer Seven tradition is now in its 18th season. Besides Penn and St. Joe's, the group includes Drexel, La Salle, Philadelphia Textile, Temple and Villanova. Last season, the Explorers won the unofficial conference with a 3-1-1 record, followed by the Quakers and Hawks, who tied for second place. In its recent history, the Quakers have had more success in Soccer Seven games than in Ivy League contests. Last season, the Quakers went 3-2 in Soccer Seven games, and 1-6 in the Ancient Eight. This season, the Quakers sole victory came against crosstown rival Drexel.
(10/04/96 9:00am)
Athletic Dep't overhaulsAthletic Dep't overhaulslocker rooms and completesAthletic Dep't overhaulslocker rooms and completesFranklin Field repairs Last year, the women's basketball team had to share their locker room with mice and cockroaches. But now College junior Michelle Maldonado says she and the rest of the team are looking forward to a pest-free season, thanks to the Athletic Department and Physical Plant's renovations of numerous locker rooms and other facilities over the summer. Physical Plant renovated the locker rooms for women's sports, including soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, softball and volleyball, in order to comply with Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, according to Senior Associate Athletic Director Carolyn Schlie Femovich. Femovich said the University is well ahead of schedule in completing the renovations. The original target date was June 1997. Associate Athletic Director for Facilities Larry Lauchle said the renovated locker rooms have brand-new showers, sinks, lockers and -- in some rooms -- carpeting. But the heating and air conditioning systems remain outdated. "I wouldn't say they're in great shape," Lauchle said. In addition, the Boat House on the Schuylkill River -- which serves the men's heavyweight, lightweight and women's crew teams -- saw extensive renovations over the summer. "What we did was renovate [the] whole upper level so that they all have new locker-room areas but share a common area for weight training," Femovich said. The University has received alumni donations to renovate several men's locker rooms, including basketball, soccer, lacrosse and baseball. "When you add all those up, we probably did about 10 or 12 locker room areas over the course of the last year," said Femovich, noting the renovations cost "at least several hundred thousand dollars." Lauchle said the Franklin Field bleachers are also finished and should last well into the next century. "The place looks great," Lauchle said. "I'm sure it will last for another 40 years or 50 years before something has to be done." A gift from the Class of 1971 will fund the creation of a Palestra VIP and media room, which should be ready by this season's first home basketball game, according to Lauchle. He also highlighted an ongoing problem in the Franklin Field-Weightman Hall complex -- the lack of sufficient electricity. "We can't turn everything on at one time," Lauchle said. "If we turn the lights on at Franklin Field, we have to switch some lights off someplace else." He added that the University is currently looking into purchasing a small extra power supply unit for the basement of Weightman Hall. The renovations to the women's locker room -- for example, the extra showers -- will allow players to leave more quickly following practices and games, Lauchle said. Women's basketball coach Julie Soriero said she is pleased that the University is bringing its facilities into compliance with Title IX. "What the gender equity situation gave us was a real quick influx of funds," Soriero said. "I can say beyond a doubt that our locker room is the nicest women's basketball locker room in the Ivy League." Soriero and field hockey coach Val Cloud said the new locker rooms may help in recruiting. "It's definitely an improvement," said Cloud, adding that in the past she would "never, ever show our recruits the locker rooms because it was just an embarrassment." And College senior Curran Kelly, a field hockey player, said she thinks the renovations will help the team in the long run. "This is definitely a very positive thing for our program," she said.
(10/03/96 9:00am)
Former Penn guard Matt Maloney realized the dream of many college basketball players Tuesday when he inked a contract with the NBA's Houston Rockets. According to yesterday's Philadelphia Daily News, the 1995 Penn graduate signed a one-year, guaranteed contract was for the minimum NBA rookie salary of $220,000. The signing was not unexpected. Maloney told The Daily Pennsylvanian in early September that Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich had promised him a contract for the 1996-97 season. Maloney will begin training with the Rockets at their Galveston, Texas, camp this Friday. The 1995 Ivy League Player of the Year and Penn's all-time leader in three-pointers impressed the Rockets at the Rocky Mountain Revue, a Salt Lake City summer rookie and free-agent camp for several NBA teams. Maloney, nicknamed "Money" for his long-range shooting accuracy, joins his former teammate and backcourt mate Jerome Allen -- who signed a one-year deal with the Indiana Pacers on Aug. 16 -- as the only two Penn graduates currently in the NBA. "I think he'll take the opportunity and run with it," Penn coach Dunphy said last month, adding Maloney and Allen "worked extremely hard in their careers at Penn." Tomjanovich told The Daily News that Maloney compares favorably to Steve Nash, a rookie guard from Santa Clara who was drafted 15th overall by the Phoenix Suns. "[Maloney's] bigger and maybe stronger and can do a lot of things," Tomjanovich said. After being the last guard cut by the Golden State Warriors last season, Maloney played for the CBA's Grand Rapids Mackers, where he averaged 12.1 points per game and led the team with 5.5 assists per game -- 11th best in the league. Maloney struck paydirt at the camp this past summer, averaging 10.8 points and five assists per game. Quakers fans can mark their calendars for November 14, when Maloney and Allen are reunited for the Pacers-Rockets contest at Houston's Summit. Maloney will make his return to Philadelphia when the Rockets play the 76ers at the CoreStates Center on January 10.
(10/02/96 9:00am)
When Paul Rubincam retired in July from his post as Penn's director of special gifts development, he was expecting to take the year off. But after 15-year Big 5 Executive Secretary Dan Baker left the city basketball league in July, Rubincam said the five schools' athletic directors approached him and asked him to lend his experience and know-how for the coming year. On September 18, Rubincam was named the Big 5's acting executive director. "I know what all the problems are and what all the pluses and minuses are," Rubincam said. "I care about the Big 5. I think it's a Philadelphia tradition, and it's certainly worth perpetuating." Rubincam brings his extensive resume to the Big 5, which includes playing and coaching basketball for Penn. He was also Penn's athletic director from 1986 to 1993 and has worked for the University since 1962, most recently in alumni fund-raising. Although the Big 5 has undergone some turmoil in recent years -- particularly the 1991 reduction of the men's full round-robin tournament to a half schedule -- Rubincam feels he does not face any pressing issues this season, citing the conference's recent four-year agreement that allows home teams to choose the site of the games. The Big 5 officially began play in 1955 and includes La Salle, St. Joseph's, Temple, Villanova and Penn. "I'm going to take a look during the year at the Big 5, try to make some recommendations," Rubincam said. "I'm not sure how under my leadership things are going to change." Rubincam added that his current projects include producing the Big 5 yearbook and working out the details surrounding the Big 5's annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony. But while the Big 5 may not see much change over the next season, the conference's athletic directors were excited to have Rubincam aboard for the year. "I feel extremely good about it," St. Joseph's athletic director Don DiJulia said. "I think in the context of this year, there can't be a more perfect choice." Villanova athletic director Gene DeFilippo agreed, calling Rubincam "one of the most competent administrators I know." "I think that he really, really knows what kind of assistance our athletic directors need, and I think he'll be a wonderful addition to the Big 5," DeFilippo said. Temple athletic director Dave O'Brien believes Rubincam could make a noticeable impact on the Big 5. "With the advent of new conferences and game limitations, I think the Big 5 over the last decade has struggled a little bit to define itself," O'Brien said. "I think he will restore some real substantive meaning to the Big 5." Steve Bilsky, Rubincam's heir as Penn athletic director, said Rubincam's roles include "making sure the office runs," as well as contributing "his ideas and thoughts about what the future of the Big 5 should be beyond the year 2000." "I think his thoughts and comments will be well received by all the schools," Bilsky said. Baker, the former Big 5 director, feels the league will be in "pretty good hands" this year. "His intimate knowledge of the organization is going to be very helpful," Baker said. "He has the respect and admiration of his peers -- they know he's fair-minded and even-handed." Even though Baker said he was proud of negotiating the new four-year Big 5 contract, he hopes that the full round-robin format will eventually be restored. "To me, the essence of the Big 5 was the full round-robin schedule, which allowed us to determine a Philadelphia city champion," Baker said. "That's one of Paul's biggest challenges, to see if he can restore meaning to the term 'Big 5 Champion'." Bilsky credits Baker with saving the Big 5 from extinction. "The fact that we're still playing is a pretty, pretty big accomplishment," said Bilsky, noting that "there's a lot of non-glamorous work in putting together the Big 5." Despite the fact that the men do not play a full round-robin, the women still do -- and Rubincam should help continue the thriving competition, according to Kathleen McNally, Villanova's athletic director for women's sports. "He knows Philadelphia, he knows basketball," McNally said. Rubincam said the apparent declining interest in Big 5 basketball might be a result of the NCAA tournament's rise to glory, which in the past "did not have the appeal or glamour it does today." But Rubincam hopes the Philadelphia tradition will continue as long as possible. "The whole concept of the Big 5 is a plus for the city and the region," Rubincam said. "I don't see a downside to perpetuating the life of the Big 5." Penn men's basketball coach Fran Dunphy also said Rubincam should "do a very good job" in his position. "He knows the particulars that are involved in this issue," Dunphy said. "People feel very comfortable dealing with him." Dunphy explained that although Penn will play a Big 5 game at the Palestra this season, he wants to see all games played at the storied arena just as they were during the conference's first 30 seasons. "I'd love to see a round-robin again and all the games at the Palestra again, but I don't think that's going to happen," Dunphy said. DiJulia also voiced concern for the future of the Big 5, especially since there is no TV agreement for the season. "The television people don't think it's worth anything," DiJulia said. Rubincam and several of the athletic directors said they will not address on of the hotter issues in recent years -- whether Drexel will be invited to join the Big 5 -- until the league negotiates a new agreement, probably in 1999 or 2000.
(09/27/96 9:00am)
In an effort to attract more students and families to the first home football game this season, the Athletic Department has scheduled tomorrow's Penn-Colgate matchup for 6 p.m., followed by a drawing for a fall break trip and a full-blown laser light show. Athletic Director Steve Bilsky said earlier this month he hopes the game's time and the additional promotions attached to the event will increase attendance. "[Students will] all be out of bed," Bilsky said. "I know that that's always been an issue of why more students don't come to football games." Bilsky added that families who live in the area, often busy with children's activities on weekends, may find the game's late start more convenient. "You can't put [families] in this situation where they've got to choose being at their son's soccer game or daughter's tennis match or being at a Penn football game," Bilsky said. A drawing for a free fall break trip will follow the game. But the highlight of the evening, according to administrators, is the laser light show. The show, sponsored by CoreStates, will include Penn-friendly themes like football and Princeton-bashing against a backdrop of popular music. "When the graphics and images are done correctly, it kind of packs a very emotional wallop," said Dan Held, marketing and sales manager for Image Engineering, which is in charge of the show. Penn football coach Al Bagnoli said last week that although he is no stranger to night games, since he coached several while at Union College, he was not sure about the changes' impact. "It will be interesting to see how it goes," Bagnoli said. "I like the initiative of the Athletic Department in terms of trying to do things that increase visibility." Bilsky said he is worried about declining Ivy League football attendance and is looking for ways to change the trend. Engineering senior Dina Lowe said most of her friends knew about the laser show and the game's time-- reasons why they will likely attend the game. But Wharton freshman Eugene Park said he did not know about the laser show and does not plan to go to the game.
(09/25/96 9:00am)
The August 15 closing of Hutchinson Gymnasium's swimming pool has led to twice the usual number of recreational swimmers at Gimbel Gymnasium's Sheerr Pool this semester, according to Sheerr Pool lifeguards. Because the varsity swimming teams begin daily practice this Monday afternoon, lifeguards and swimmers expect even more people to compete for Sheerr Pool lane time until the Hutch pool reopens, probably during the first week in October. The Hutch pool -- constructed as part of the Palestra-Hutch complex in 1926 -- closed in August "to do investigative work and repairs," according to Physical Plant Director James Wargo. Larry Lauchle, associate athletic director for facilities, explained that the pool's filtering system had broken down, leading to chlorine leakage between the pool's bricks. Engineers recently dug four "exploratory holes" in the drained pool's walls to examine its condition. Though the pool will reopen in October, it will close again next summer so workers can complete repairs on the 70-year-old facility. "There's an extensive amount of work that has to be done," said Lauchle, adding that the Hutch pool will pose "no danger whatsoever" when it reopens, even though it will not be completely repaired. Lauchle said he does not know the cost or scope of next summer's renovations. "We're not sure exactly what we're going to do yet," Lauchle said. "We don't want to tear it apart too much now, because it would take too long to get it back in service." Lauchle said the increase in swimmers at Sheerr Pool due to Hutch pool's closing is especially noticeable between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. "When [one pool is] down, the other one takes a tremendous amount of pressures put on it by a number of people," Lauchle explained. "And then with teams practicing, that creates a bigger problem." Engineering sophomore Brian Jessup, a member of the men's varsity swimming team, said he is now encountering difficulties when he practices at Sheerr Pool during recreational swim times. "You have to share lanes with someone who's not doing your workout," said Jessup, noting that he needs to swim during recreational periods because he misses team workouts periodically due to other commitments. But Wharton sophomore and recreational swimmer Adrienne Kardosh said she has not had any problems at Sheerr Pool, despite the fact that it is more crowded than usual. "The people here are pretty good about sharing the lanes," she said. Wharton sophomore Michael Irizarry, a lifeguard at Sheerr Pool, said the lifeguards who previously worked at the Hutch pool have joined Sheerr's staff to monitor the larger crowds of swimmers. But Irizarry said the recreational swimming regulars may have to reschedule their activity between Monday, when the varsity teams begin practice, and whenever the Hutch pool reopens. "Those [recreational swimmers] won't have anywhere to swim during those hours [in which the varsity teams practice]," Irizarry said. Kardosh noted that she thinks more people -- particularly better swimmers -- use the Sheerr Pool instead of the Hutch pool anyway. She cited Sheerr Pool's cleanliness as a reason for that trend.
(09/19/96 9:00am)
Palmer Stadium, home to Princeton football since 1914, will be demolished following the 1996 season to make way for a new $45 million facility, which is not yet named, Princeton University announced last week. According to a prepared statement, engineers deemed the stadium "beyond repair" in 1994 because of corrosion of reinforcing steel rods and erosion of the concrete, despite the fact that they still called it "safe." The Quakers, who have a 12-15 all-time record at Palmer Stadium, will visit the facility for the last time when the two Ivy arch-rivals collide on Nov. 9. Penn coach Al Bagnoli said he would miss the stadium's esthetics. "It's a neat old place," he said. "There's just so much more than a generic-looking stadium." Bagnoli added the new facility might benefit Princeton's football program. "They're going to have a very nice situation," said Bagnoli, who is 1-1 at Palmer Stadium. "It shows a commitment from the school to the program." However, Penn Hall of Famer Bernie Lemonick disagreed with Bagnoli on both points, explaining that Palmer Stadium paled in comparison to Franklin Field. "[Palmer Stadium] seemed to be put up as an afterthought," said Lemonick, a 1951 graduate who played for legendary Quakers coach George Munger. "It was a very crude stadium for people who came to watch." And Lemonick countered Bagnoli's assertion that the new stadium would be a boon to Princeton football. "Fields don't help universities in my opinion," Lemonick said, explaining that quality coaches and weight training are more important in college football. Jim Dunsmore, an offensive and defensive star for the Quakers in 1959 and 1960, recalled Penn's long-standing competition with the Tigers. "It's always been a great rivalry," Dunsmore said. But Dunsmore added that he did not believe Princeton's new stadium would help the Tigers at all. "There's only one advantage -- it's Franklin Field," he said. "That's the greatest stadium in the United States." Jeff Fortna, a linebacker and strong safety who captained the Red and Blue to an undefeated 10-0 season in 1986, said he enjoyed playing at Palmer Stadium. "It was just an exciting atmosphere whenever we went there," said Fortna, adding that he felt Princeton's new stadium would lure "borderline" recruits to Old Nassau. Construction is set to start next spring on the approximately 30,000-capacity facility, with a goal of completing it before the 1998 football season begins. Because the Tigers will be homeless for the 1997 season, the Princeton Department of Athletics is looking into neutral-site venues and playing away games against opponents who, because of the alternating schedule, would normally have games at Princeton. Like Palmer Stadium, the new facility will have a natural grass surface and will host soccer and lacrosse matches. However, the new stadium will not have a track, which is to be constructed on the field between the stadium and Jadwin Gymnasium.
(09/19/96 9:00am)
Former Penn Athletic Director Paul Rubincam was picked as acting executive director of the Big 5, replacing Dan Baker, who lauded the selection Former Penn Athletic Director Paul Rubincam has been appointed acting executive director of the Big 5 basketball league, replacing Dan Baker, who served as Big 5 executive secretary from Sept. 1981 to June 1996. Rubincam, who will assume his post immediately, served as the University's athletic director from 1986 to 1993 and then as director of special gifts development until the Big 5 announcement yesterday. "I think Paul's an excellent choice," Senior Associate Athletic Director Carolyn Schlie Femovich said, adding that his experience dealing with the member institutions and his marketing and public relations savvy should benefit all parties. Baker, in a prepared statement, praised Rubincam's enthusiasm. "Paul brings a unique perspective to the position," Baker said. "He is energetic and relates very well with people." The Big 5, which was officially formed in 1954, includes Penn, La Salle, St. Joseph's, Temple and Villanova. Drexel could possibly be added in the near future. Rubincam might examine what some say is a declining interest in the Big 5, partially because of Villanova's 1991 request that members only play two league games each season instead of four -- the standard since 1954. Also, critics have said that the Big 5 has outlasted its own good. With all schools playing in prominent national conferences, some say the Big 5 is no longer needed to shed light on what were obscure basketball programs. Drexel could arguably benefit from the increased attention, since it plays in the North Atlantic Conference -- wihch isn't known for it hoops prowess. The Palestra hosted nearly all Big 5 games until 1986, when Temple and Villanova chose to play games at its home facilities. Big 5 games found a home in 1991 at the CoreStates Spectrum -- a home that lasted just five seasons, as the schools have elected to hold contests at the site the home team chooses. Rubincam, a 1959 Penn alumnus and former Penn basketball player, has worked for the the University since 1962. He said last night he would not comment on the situation until today. On Dec. 20, 1995 the five Big 5 presidents signed a four-year contract that extends the half round-robin tournament practice as well as permitting each school to play its home games at a site of its choosing. Baker, Athletic Director Steve Bilsky and Quakers coach Fran Dunphy were also unavailable for comment as of late last night.
(09/16/96 9:00am)
Tigers' second-leading scorer had consideredTigers' second-leading scorer had consideredtransferring to Penn, among other schools Dashing any hopes of adding one of the Ivy League's top sophomores to Penn's backcourt, Princeton point guard Brian Earl has decided to stick with the Tigers this year. According to Princeton head coach Bill Carmody, Earl told him over the summer he would not change uniforms this season. "[Earl] just called and said that he's coming back," Carmody said. His decision, coming in late August, was in part due to the fact that he didn't persue transferring as much as he should have. "There was a lack of interest from the schools," Earl said. "I didn't give it as much thought as I could have either." Earl surprised the Ivy League basketball world last April by announcing that he was considering leaving Princeton, which defeated the Quakers in a one-game playoff at Lehigh on March 9 to win the Ivy's lone NCAA tournament berth. "I didn't enjoy basketball as much as I thought I would," Earl said. "School wasn't that much fun for me either." The Tigers then shocked defending NCAA champion UCLA in the first round, 43-41, recording the biggest upset of the tournament. Princeton was eliminated in the next round after losing to Final Four-bound Mississippi State, 63-41. Carmody said last spring that he might alter Carril's trademark slow-down offense in order to better suit the players. "I'm different from Coach Carril," Carmody said in the April 19, 1996 issue of The Daily Pennsylvanian. "I believe a lot of Coach Carril's philosophy, but also that you look at the players, what their strengths are and basically go from there." At the time, Earl said he was considering about 30 schools -- and arch-rival Penn was the only Ivy among them. Although Penn is near Earl's hometown of Medford Lakes, N.J., he said he was worried about the fallout from a decision to transfer to Penn. He also didn't want to compete for backcourt playing time with his friend and Penn freshman Matt Langel, a 6-foot-4 guard from Moorestown, N.J. "I though about [transferring] to Penn at the beginning," Earl said. "But I have friends at Princeton, and with the competition between the two schools, it probably wasn't the right thing to do." Earl also said that the new coach and the fact that he will be joined by a high school teammate had nothing to do with the decision. If he had chosen to transfer, Earl would have had to sit out one season because of NCAA regulations.
(09/13/96 9:00am)
Hopes to build new indoor facility includin a track, weight room, ad swimming pool Newly-hired recreation director Mike Diorka hopes to oversee a complete overhaul of the University's recreation facilities, including an indoor track, new weight rooms, gymnasiums and swimming pools. He emphasized that these plans are still in the very early stages. Athletic Director Steve Bilsky is setting up an exploratory committee to evaluate the feasibility of such a facility. Before coming to Penn, Diorka oversaw the construction of a multi-million dollar indoor recreational facility at Tulane University, where he headed up the recreation department for eight years. Diorka said he hopes a new facility at Penn would serve as the center of all recreational activities on campus. "[Students] want the best possible education for the dollar and the best amenities for the dollar," he said. Although Diorka said plans will not be finalized for at least a year, he explained that the University is considering a site either near 30th and Walnut streets or at the Philadelphia Civic Center, if the University purchases the building. Bilsky said he believes Penn needs an entirely new facility, explaining that plans have been in progress for some time. "I can pull out a document [from] 30 years ago about a study that we need an indoor track," Bilsky said. "[A track] adds culture to the campus." At Tulane, the recreation facility Diorka helped develop opened in 1991 after students voted to add a $200 "tax" to their tuition bills in order to fund the new building. The facility -- which housed a 7,000-square-foot weight room, indoor track, three dance rooms, two gymnasiums, a juice bar, an Olympic-size pool, a game room and more -- "paid for itself" and became "the most widely sought-after site during the tours," Diorka said. For now, Diorka is concentrating on putting together a comprehensive study and survey of the University's recreation programs. "There aren't many scenarios short of complete renovation of all facilities," he said. According to Diorka, the recreation department does not have to compete with health clubs like University City Nautilus, which attracts students who do not use the University's weight rooms. "What recreation provides is more than just lifting weights," Diorka said. "The name of the game [for health clubs] is profits? our name of the game is to have fun and to satisfy students." Diorka said he will also focus on creating a recreation advisory board and on improving the Athletic Department's World Wide Web homepages for club and intramural sports and recreational programs. As the newest Penn athletics administrator, Diorka oversees all intramural and club sports, instructional programs and summer camps. Athletics administrators streamlined the recreation department after Bob Glascott, director of intramural recreation sports, and Ann Wetzel, coordinator of racquet sports, retired over the summer. "We needed an experienced professional that understood a campus like this," Bilsky said. Diorka also has other ideas -- which he successfully implemented at Tulane -- for events to increase campus camaraderie, including a mile-long race on Locust Walk and an intramural golf outing with a barbecue. One of Diorka's noted accomplishments at Tulane was the upgrading of the intramural football program. According to Tulane's Bill Canning, associate vice president for auxiliary services and campus recreation, students played eight-on-a-side, "two-hand rough touch football" before Diorka came to the university. At the time, players wore "reject hockey helmets" and used outdated rules that allowed only three eligible receivers, Canning said. Diorka turned the antiquated football games into a nationally used flag football program. "We were kind of moving from the '60s right into the '90s," Canning said. Diorka -- a Philadelphia native and graduate of St. Joseph's University -- coached several high school and college track teams before going to Tulane. "The sign of a good coach was to take basically someone with average talent and make him into something," Diorka said. He said recreation should be an integral part of the University. "I think recreation on the college campus today is very much a part of the curriculum in a sense -- the co-curricular experience," Diorka said, adding that recreation can largely contribute to "total student satisfaction." "[The purpose of] recreation is to recreate the body, recreate the mind," Diorka added. "There needs to be a healthy outlet for [students] to take some of that pressure off."
(09/10/96 9:00am)
When most students think about the 'strip,' they probably conjure images of glittering casinos in Las Vegas or the nightlife in Los Angeles. But for Penn freshman Cliff Bayer -- the No. 1 ranked American fencer in men's foil -- the 'strip' is the 2-by-14 meter area in which he has competed for the last 10 years. Bayer, whose bid for a medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta ended with a first-round loss, was admitted to Penn in 1995, but deferred matriculation so he could train with the hope of landing one of three spots on the U.S. Olympic men's foil squad. "[My coach] was basically saying, 'If you want to go for it, I will back you up 150 percent,'" said Bayer, who was the youngest fencer ever to make the U.S. Olympic team. Although his coach, Yefim Litvan, had previously told Bayer that 2000 was his Olympic year, Bayer won the national championship in 1995 -- placing him firmly on the road to Atlanta. And if he had won his first match against Oleksiy Bryzgalov of Ukraine, Bayer would have faced Italy's Alessandro Puccini -- the eventual gold medalist -- in the next round. "You train for years to have an opportunity at the gold," Bayer said. "There are no guarantees, especially in the Olympics, because it's just such a crazy atmosphere, and it's so easy to get swept up in it." Now Bayer, currently the sixth-ranked under-20 player in the world, will compete for the Red and Blue instead of the red, white and blue. But first, he plans to focus on the transition from a grueling training and competition schedule to a rigorous academic schedule. Although he said his latest experiences at Penn have been "pretty overwhelming" -- for instance, forgetting words in his foreign-language class that he once knew -- his new friends have helped ease the transition. "It's nice to be around kids again," said Bayer, who spent most of his time fencing with people in their mid- and late-20s. Bayer, originally from New York City, began fencing when he was nine years old, spurred by his older brother -- five years his senior -- who fenced from the age of 10. "I'd start messing around with my brother with a pencil, and then it sort of blossomed from there," Bayer said. But Bayer did not immediately dedicate himself to fencing full time, playing other sports like baseball, wrestling and tennis. In his freshman year of high school, Bayer decided to drop his other sports in order to concentrate on fencing. And five years later, he found himself at the centennial Olympic Games. "In fencing, you get what you put in," he said. "The harder you work, the better your results are." Bayer said fencing is a unique and interesting sport because of the varied skills it requires. "It involves so many different things," he said, including "mental, physical [strength], mobility of your legs, mobility of your arms, coordinating your arms and your legs." And Bayer added that many coaches refer to fencing as "physical chess," alluding to the sport's highly strategic nature. "You always have to think about your next move," he said. "It's very tactical?you go in with a game plan because everybody has different strengths and weaknesses." Bayer, who has traveled to numerous tournaments domestically and abroad, said Litvan was a great help in his career. But he emphasized that it was not only his coach who propelled him this far. "It's impossible to make an Olympic team on your own," Bayer said. "It's a team effort between your coach, your family, your friends, your doctors -- it goes down the list." One of those friends is 1994 Penn graduate Tamir Bloom, an Olympic teammate who has trained at the New York Athletic Club with Bayer since he started. "He's fantastic -- he's one of my best buddies," Bloom said. "He's still a kid, but he's incredibly mature." Stanford fencing coach Zoran Tulum, who coached the men's foil trio at the Olympics, praised Bayer's "athletic mind," hard work and sense of humor. "He's definitely a very brave young man with excellent athletic skills," Tulum said. Although Bayer regularly trained throughout high school, many of his classmates were surprised to discover he was ranked No. 1 in the nation. "I'm not the type of guy to go out and parade about himself," Bayer said. Mike Michelson, dean of students at Riverside Country School in the Bronx, Bayer's high school, agreed. "Virtually no one at school knew how much time he was devoting to fencing," Michelson said. "I particularly admire how private he was about all this." For now, Bayer plans to concentrate on school. But he is already looking ahead to the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, where he feels he would have a good shot at winning a medal. But even though Bayer went home from Atlanta without a medal draped around his neck, he still had an unforgettable time at the Olympics. He made sure to take advantage of photo opportunities with gold medal-winning decathlete Dan O'Brien and members of the U.S. men's basketball 'Dream Team.' "I think in three weeks, I met more people than I've ever met in my life," he said.
(09/10/96 9:00am)
When most students think about the 'strip,' they probably conjure images of glittering casinos in Las Vegas or the nightlife in Los Angeles. But for Penn freshman Cliff Bayer -- the No. 1 ranked American fencer in men's foil -- the 'strip' is the 2-by-14 meter area in which he has competed for the last 10 years. Bayer, whose bid for a medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta ended with a first-round loss, was admitted to Penn in 1995, but deferred matriculation so he could train with the hope of landing one of three spots on the U.S. Olympic men's foil squad. "[My coach] was basically saying, 'If you want to go for it, I will back you up 150 percent,'" said Bayer, who was the youngest fencer ever to make the U.S. Olympic team. Although his coach, Yefim Litvan, had previously told Bayer that 2000 was his Olympic year, Bayer won the national championship in 1995 -- placing him firmly on the road to Atlanta. And if he had won his first match against Oleksiy Bryzgalov of Ukraine, Bayer would have faced Italy's Alessandro Puccini -- the eventual gold medalist -- in the next round. "You train for years to have an opportunity at the gold," Bayer said. "There are no guarantees, especially in the Olympics, because it's just such a crazy atmosphere, and it's so easy to get swept up in it." Now Bayer, currently the sixth-ranked under-20 player in the world, will compete for the Red and Blue instead of the red, white and blue. But first, he plans to focus on the transition from a grueling training and competition schedule to a rigorous academic schedule. Although he said his latest experiences at Penn have been "pretty overwhelming" -- for instance, forgetting words in his foreign-language class that he once knew -- his new friends have helped ease the transition. "It's nice to be around kids again," said Bayer, who spent most of his time fencing with people in their mid- and late-20s. Bayer, originally from New York City, began fencing when he was nine years old, spurred by his older brother -- five years his senior -- who fenced from the age of 10. "I'd start messing around with my brother with a pencil, and then it sort of blossomed from there," Bayer said. But Bayer did not immediately dedicate himself to fencing full time, playing other sports like baseball, wrestling and tennis. In his freshman year of high school, Bayer decided to drop his other sports in order to concentrate on fencing. And five years later, he found himself at the centennial Olympic Games. "In fencing, you get what you put in," he said. "The harder you work, the better your results are." Bayer said fencing is a unique and interesting sport because of the varied skills it requires. "It involves so many different things," he said, including "mental, physical [strength], mobility of your legs, mobility of your arms, coordinating your arms and your legs." And Bayer added that many coaches refer to fencing as "physical chess," alluding to the sport's highly strategic nature. "You always have to think about your next move," he said. "It's very tactical?you go in with a game plan because everybody has different strengths and weaknesses." Bayer, who has traveled to numerous tournaments domestically and abroad, said Litvan was a great help in his career. But he emphasized that it was not only his coach who propelled him this far. "It's impossible to make an Olympic team on your own," Bayer said. "It's a team effort between your coach, your family, your friends, your doctors -- it goes down the list." One of those friends is 1994 Penn graduate Tamir Bloom, an Olympic teammate who has trained at the New York Athletic Club with Bayer since he started. "He's fantastic -- he's one of my best buddies," Bloom said. "He's still a kid, but he's incredibly mature." Stanford fencing coach Zoran Tulum, who coached the men's foil trio at the Olympics, praised Bayer's "athletic mind," hard work and sense of humor. "He's definitely a very brave young man with excellent athletic skills," Tulum said. Although Bayer regularly trained throughout high school, many of his classmates were surprised to discover he was ranked No. 1 in the nation. "I'm not the type of guy to go out and parade about himself," Bayer said. Mike Michelson, dean of students at Riverside Country School in the Bronx, Bayer's high school, agreed. "Virtually no one at school knew how much time he was devoting to fencing," Michelson said. "I particularly admire how private he was about all this." For now, Bayer plans to concentrate on school. But he is already looking ahead to the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, where he feels he would have a good shot at winning a medal. But even though Bayer went home from Atlanta without a medal draped around his neck, he still had an unforgettable time at the Olympics. He made sure to take advantage of photo opportunities with gold medal-winning decathlete Dan O'Brien and members of the U.S. men's basketball 'Dream Team.' "I think in three weeks, I met more people than I've ever met in my life," he said.
(09/09/96 9:00am)
Players, coaches excited about fresh start with Bergman Penn crew coaches and team members caught their breath this weekend after a shake-up that saw the resignation of women's coach Carol Bower and the appointment of longtime men's heavyweight coach Stan Bergman to run the entire program. And several voiced excitement for what might be a strong all-around season for the men's heavyweight, men's lightweight and women's squads. "I hope that we're going to see improvements in all three programs," Bergman said. "I think we'll meet the needs of all the athletes much better this way." Bergman, who was named Coach of the Year by the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges three times, emphasized that the reorganization of the program should relieve his administrative burden, giving him more hours working with the teams. Three full-time assistants, Angie Herron, Larry Connell and Bruce Konopka -- formerly the lightweight head coach -- will shoulder more of the administrative duties. "There's a lot of administrative work in running the program," Bergman said. "What I like to do is coach, and I think this will give me an opportunity to coach more." Women's crew co-captain Amy Hoopes also said she felt the restructuring would give the coaches more on-site instruction time. "It's a new, innovative type of thing to do with a team," the senior said. Hoopes described Bergman as an "awesome" and "incredible" coach. "With the cohesiveness we already have, we have a good shot at doing really well," she said. Senior Caspar Bentinck, the captain of the men's heavyweight crew team, is pleased with the decision, even though his team will no longer be Bergman's sole concern. "I'm excited for the program, simply because he's one of the best coaches in the country." The other co-captain of the women's crew team, senior Heather Whalen, said although Bergman will still devote most of his time to the men's heavyweight squad this year, he told the women's and lightweight teams he would have time to coach them. "We have a staff of outstanding coaches who have tremendous talent and tremendous coaching ability," Whalen said. "[Bergman is] one of the most respected coaches in this country." She also said the team members were putting last year's controversies behind them. "We really don't want to dwell on the past," Whalen said. In a meeting with athletic director Steve Bilsky on Nov. 14, 1995, the women's crew team accused Bower of being ineffective and asked for her resignation. Among the team's complaints was Bower's delaying the arrival of the varsity boats at last fall's Frostbite Regatta on the Schuylkill River, causing the squad to miss its races. Despite the problems, Bergman said he believes the women's crew team would miss Bower's leadership. "I'm sure she did a lot for the program," Bergman said. "Every coach has their uniqueness and their strong points." Former women's crew team member Janice Englesbe said the coaching changes should help the program. "It's a real positive," the 1991 alumna said. "Hopefully, everything will work out this year."
(09/05/96 9:00am)
Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich told theex-Penn guard he would be signed soon in next few days Former Penn guard and 1995 graduate Matt Maloney said last night that Houston Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich has promised him a contract for the upcoming season. "As of now, I'm on the roster for the Rockets," Maloney said. The 1995 Ivy League Player of the Year and Penn's all-time leader in three-pointers impressed the Rockets at the Rocky Mountain Revue, the team's summer rookie and free-agent camp. Maloney joins his former teammate and backcourt mate Jerome Allen -- who recently inked a one-year deal with the Indiana Pacers -- as the only two Penn graduates currently in the NBA. Maloney said he will receive the league minimum salary. Quakers head coach Fran Dunphy said he was "very happy" for Maloney. "I think he'll take the opportunity and run with it," Dunphy said, adding Maloney and Allen "worked extremely hard in their careers at Penn." After being the last guard cut by the Golden State Warriors last season, Maloney played for the CBA's Grand Rapids Mackers, where he averaged 12.1 points per game and led the team with 5.5 assists per game -- good enough for 11th in the league. Maloney also sank 106 three-pointers, tying him for the team lead. He was invited to participate in the three-point shootout at the CBA's All-Star game weekend last season, but finished last in the event. Maloney struck paydirt at the Rockets camp this past summer, averaging 10.8 points per game -- second only to rookie forward Othella Harrington -- and added an additional five assists per game. "He played extremely well to the point where there's obviously some interest," Keith Glass, Maloney's agent, said. Maloney felt the camp improved his chances of making the squad. "There were a lot of good players," he said. "I got a chance to learn their system." Maloney joins a revamped Rockets squad that includes the recently acquired Charles Barkley, a 10-time All-Star forward and former league MVP. Maloney also will play alongside future-Hall-of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon and All-Star guard Clyde Drexler. "We have a good chance to win it all," Maloney said. Houston won back-to-back NBA championships in the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons, but was swept by Seattle in the Western Conference semifinals last season. The Rockets training camp begins October 4 and lasts through October 10, although Maloney said he will be leaving this weekend for Houston. "We're very happy with him, and he's done a great job," Rockets spokesperson Tim Frank said. The Haddonfield, N.J., native transferred to Penn from Vanderbilt after his freshman season and, along with Allen, led the Quakers to three straight Ivy League titles and NCAA tournament appearances from 1993 through 1995. Maloney is also second in all-time steals for Penn and third in assists. He scored 37 and 36 points against American and Brown, respectively -- two of the highest individual scoring games in Penn history. Penn fans may get a glimpse of Maloney in pro action when the Rockets visit the Philadelphia 76ers at the CoreStates Center on January 10. · Another former Ivy League Player of the Year, 1996 Penn graduate Ira Bowman, who won the award his senior year, will attend the Indiana Pacers camp on October 1, according to Glass, who is also Bowman's agent. Bowman has spent the summer playing in the Australian professional league and may continue competing Down Under if the Pacers do not sign him, Glass said.
(09/05/96 9:00am)
One day after the announcement of the resignation of controversial women's crew head coach Carol Bower, athletic director Steve Bilsky announced major restructuring in Penn's rowing program. Men's heavyweight crew head coach Stan Bergman will now take over the entire Penn crew program, including the men's lightweight and women's squads. "He's really considered one of the best rowing coaches in the country," Bilsky said. Bilsky said the restructuring -- in which three full-time and three part-time coaches will assist Bergman -- should relieve some of Bergman's administrative duties. Bilsky also said the athletic department considered student input in its review of the crew program -- but he did not directly link the women's crew team's protest to the restructuring. "There was a lot of input throughout the course of the year from crew athletes in terms of the program and what they were looking for," Bilsky said. Bilsky added that he believes Penn is the only university to implement this type of coaching structure -- and this move could put Penn's crew program into the "vanguard" of schools, according to Bilsky. "I think he'll set the policy to the program," Bilsky said of Bergman. "He recognizes that all three programs have differences as well." Bergman enters his 13th year at Penn at the helm of a men's heavyweight team that finished in first place at last spring's Eastern Sprints and a women's squad which, under Bower's tenure, failed to finish above fifth place in its league's regional championships. In a meeting with Bilsky on Nov. 14, 1995, the women's crew team accused Bower of being ineffective and asked for her resignation. Bergman will be assisted by full-time coaches Angie Herron, Larry Connell and Bruce Konopka and part-time coaches Marc Massey, Andy Metcalf and new arrival Jennifer Sanford.
(09/05/96 9:00am)
The approximately 300 freshman student-athletes who attended a special orientation session at the Palestra Monday face a difficult task -- balancing rigorous academic and athletic schedules. "Take advantage of the services we have to give to you," Athletic Director Steve Bilsky said, adding that the Athletic Department will attempt to "make your academic experience as easy as possible." The department distributed a Student-Athlete Handbook, detailing academic support services along with rules, regulations and helpful hints for student athletes. According to Assistant Athletic Director Robert Koonce, students will find services beyond tutoring and study sessions.EThe department has purchased 15 laptop computers for academic use by student-athletes on road trips and plans to buy more in the future. "We want to give our kids every opportunity," Koonce said after the orientation, noting the computers are equipped with modems so the student-athletes can use e-mail. Koonce added that Duke and Yale universities already provide their student-athletes with laptop computers. During the orientation, administrators told the student-athletes to stay on top of both their classes and competitions -- especially in forming relationships with professors and coaches. Senior Associate Athletic Director Carolyn Schlie Femovich said the student-athletes will form close bonds with their coaches. "They will probably know you and you will probably know them better than anyone else on campus," Femovich said, adding that student-athletes should take advantage of their coaches' office hours. Associate Athletic Director Elton Cochran-Fikes, who coordinates athletic eligibility, urged the freshmen to get acquainted with their professors and "resolve conflicts early" between competition and exam schedules. Cochran-Fikes also told the students to make sure they are registered with the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Bilsky reminded the student-athletes to "support one another's teams." "We like to think that we're your family," Bilsky said. Engineering freshman Jeremy McDowell, a baseball team member, said the transition from high school to college is not easy. "I think it will be a little bit rough at first," McDowell said. "It's just a matter of getting adjusted to it." But College freshman Amy Padula said the Athletic Department seemed to ease the transition. "It's nice to feel supported by the rest of the teams and the administration," said Padula, who plays field hockey and lacrosse. Noting that the Athletic Department works closely with the Department of Academic Support Programs, Koonce said every effort is made to ensure a smooth transition. "We want to make sure that we're inclusive -- that our kids are integrated into the mainstream of campus," he said.
(09/04/96 9:00am)
Bower's nine-year tenure ended with rowers calling for her resignation After nine years as the coach of the Penn women's crew team, Carol Bower -- whose team accused her of being ineffective and asked for her resignation in November of 1995 -- resigned effective August 31, Athletic Director Steve Bilsky said. Bower's resignation comes after a tumultuous fall season and a spring season in which she did not fully participate in the team's day-to-day operations. Bower, however, said she did not necessarily resign in reaction to last year's criticism. "I took the whole nine years into account," she said. "You always get criticism throughout the years." Under Bower's tenure, Penn failed to finish above fifth place in its league's regional championships. Bower -- a 1984 Olympic gold medalist and a coach at the 1988 Olympic Games and world rowing championships -- said she was ready "to move on." "I think nine years is a long time in one place," Bower said, adding she "had done all that I can for Penn. "It's my time to leave and let somebody new take over," she said. Among the team's complaints this past year was Bower's delaying the arrival of the varsity boats at last fall's Frostbite Regatta on the Schuylkill River. Calling that incident "the last straw" in its relationship with the coach, the team said Bower caused the varsity squad to miss its races. Team members met with Bilsky on Nov. 14, 1995 to discuss their concerns and ask for Bower's resignation. The team then released a statement on Dec. 10, 1995, which said the team had lost "the little respect" it had for Bower and described working with Bower "impossible." According to a letter to the editor in the April X issue of The Daily Pennsylvanian from then-junior Marta Glazier, Bower was relegated to a minimal role with the team last spring. But Bilsky did not link the team's protest to Bower's resignation. "I think she came to the conclusion that it probably was better for her and the program to move on to something else that she wanted to do," he said. Bilsky added that he did not "think there was any one thing" that caused Bower to resign. Bilsky said Bower's position has not yet been officially filled and the new coach's name will be announced later this week. Senior Meera Bhatia, a member of the women's crew team in 1995, said she had mixed feelings about Bower's resignation. "I will miss her as a person," said Bhatia, who explained that she enjoyed a "close relationship" with her coach. But Bhatia also noted that the coaching move should benefit the team. "I'm really excited about changes for the program," she said. Bower has decided to pursue a master's degree in the College's dynamics of organization program. She plans to remain involved with rowing programs outside of Penn. "I'm certainly leaving my options open," Bower said. "I've been invited out to other locations?I'm open to whatever comes up."
